Revised Estimates for Continuous Shoreline Fumigation

Abstract

A model is developed to describe the dispersion of pollutants in a coastal area when stable air masses are transported inland. It is assumed that a convective mixed layer develops over land, the height of which increases with distance from the shoreline. The vertical distribution of pollutants is assumed to be homogeneous within the mixed layer and the distribution in the stable layer aloft is assumed to be Gaussian. Pollutant concentrations in the mixed layer are obtained by analytical integration of the mass conservation equation. It is shown that the earlier and much higher estimates of continuous shoreline fumigation by Lyons and Cole (1973) and Meroney et al. (1975) can be derived from our expressions by simplifying substitutions.